Suns-Thunder Preview

By MATT BECKERPosted Feb 07 2013 2:03PM

Although the Oklahoma City Thunder win a majority of their games behind a high-powered offense led by All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, coach Scott Brooks wants his team to put some extra emphasis on the defensive end.

They seemingly shouldn't have much trouble with that request against the offensively challenged Phoenix Suns in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

The Thunder (37-12) average a league-best 106.2 points, with Durant leading all scorers at 29.3 per game and Westbrook ranking seventh at 22.6. The team put together one of its better offensive showings Wednesday in a 119-98 victory over Golden State.

Durant had 25 points, Westbrook scored 22 and Kevin Martin added 21 as Oklahoma City won consecutive games for the first time in nearly three weeks after alternating wins and losses for the previous eight contests.

While the Thunder's offense led the way, the defense limited the Warriors to 19 points in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City has won 28 straight games when holding opponents to 98 points or fewer.

"I'm looking for us to just continue to bring the effort on the defensive end," Brooks said. "I've always felt with our guys as the season has gone and the years have gone by that offensively we're going to keep improving in that area but we wanted to focus on defense."

Although Brooks is looking for another strong showing from his defense, he wouldn't mind if Oklahoma City's offense continues to have its way with Phoenix. The Thunder are averaging 112.0 points while winning the last eight in the series - two this season.

In the last meeting Jan. 14, Durant and Westbrook combined for 47 of the Thunder's 51 points after halftime in a 102-90 road victory. Durant finished with 41 while Westbrook had 36.

Clamping down defensively also shouldn't be a problem for the Thunder, who've won 18 of 19 at home while the Suns have dropped 16 of 19 on the road.

Phoenix (17-33) is averaging 91.9 points while cracking triple digits just once over its last 19 games overall, including both losses to Oklahoma City. The Suns sputtered down the stretch in Wednesday's 93-84 loss at New Orleans, scoring 13 fourth-quarter points.

"Tough, tough loss for us," said interim coach Lindsey Hunter, who is 4-5 since taking over for Alvin Gentry on Jan. 20. "Not many positives can be taken from the game. Like I said, I am discouraged but I am still encouraged because I know where we are going to be and I know how we are going to do it."

Hunter's vision probably requires better shooting from the perimeter. The Suns were 1 of 15 on 3-point attempts Wednesday, and are shooting 25.0 percent from beyond the arc in their last six games.

Center Marcin Gortat has been on target, hitting 15 of 20 from the field in his last two contests. He has also posted a pair of double-doubles against Oklahoma City this season, averaging 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Thunder romp to 3rd straight blowout, 127-96

By JEFF LATZKEPosted Feb 08 2013 11:58PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Phoenix Suns had already seen a two-man scoring show starring Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The rematch was a showcase for the Oklahoma City Thunder's ensemble cast.

Durant scored 21 points, Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins both had their biggest-scoring outbursts of the season and the Thunder rode a gigantic third-quarter run to a 127-96 victory over the Suns on Friday night.

All five Thunder starters scored during a 21-0 run that put Oklahoma City in position to complete a perfect homestand with a third straight blowout. The margin of victory in the three games was a combined 73 points and coach Scott Brooks didn't even play three starters - Durant, Westbrook and Perkins - a single minute in the fourth quarter during the homestand.

"I think we've done a great job of taking care of business. Scotty emphasizes and tells us that we need to play a better fourth quarter, but we haven't played one yet," Westbrook said. "So maybe he'll change his mind on that one."

The game had a completely different feel from the last meeting in Phoenix last month, when Durant and Westbrook combined for 47 of Oklahoma City's 51 points in the second half. This time, everyone chipped in for a dominant second-half performance.

Westbrook had a right-handed slam during the run before finishing it off with a banked-in runner to stretch the lead to 81-55 with 3:25 to go in the third quarter. Serge Ibaka and Sefolosha each hit 3-pointers, Perkins had a jumper and a dunk, and Durant's only contributions were three free throws.

Phoenix even came out of a timeout with six players on the floor at one point during the stretch, but all that did was result in another point after Durant made the resulting technical foul.

"It's a matter of pick your poison with them. They have a lot of guys that aren't in the headlines but they do a lot for their team," interim Suns coach Lindsey Hunter said. "Sefolosha is one of them. He's a guy that doesn't get the press but he knocks down shots, defends really well and they've got a bunch of guys that are co-stars that do a great job."

Michael Beasley led the Suns with 25 points and Goran Dragic had 16 of his 19 points in the first quarter.

Sefolosha scored 18 points and Perkins had 17 for his highest total since being traded to Oklahoma City by Boston in February 2011. Westbrook scored 17 and Kevin Martin chipped in 16 points.

"It's great guys have confidence," Westbrook said. "That's what we need: everybody to be confident."

The Northwest Division leaders had gone 4-4 in the stretch leading up to the homestand and head back on the road for two straight feeling better - but only after a halftime speech from Brooks.

Perkins said Brooks had a rare halftime film session that led to the third-quarter defensive intensity, with the Suns going more than 6 minutes without scoring.

"We came in here and he got on us about our effort on the defensive end and told us it's not a pickup game, that we've got to go out here and defend, and that's what we went out there and did," Perkins said.

Perkins made eight of his nine shots and collected his most points since scoring 20 against Miami on Jan. 6, 2010. He also neutralized Phoenix center Marcin Gortat, who didn't attempt a shot until the fourth quarter.

"That's the Perk that we need," Sefolosha said. "Defensively, he's doing a great job and offensively, he's playing with a lot of confidence right now."

Oklahoma City has won nine straight games in the series and can complete a four-game season sweep Sunday night when the Suns get a rematch on their home court.

"Any competitor would want to have a chance at them again, and I'm sure we do," Hunter said.

The Thunder connected on their first six shots and withstood the loss of both starting guards, Westbrook and Sefolosha, to two fouls within the first 6 minutes as Durant hit all four of his 3-point attempts in the first quarter. Two of them came during an 8-0 burst soon after Westbrook and Sefolosha came out, stretching Oklahoma City's lead to 25-15.

Phoenix rallied with a string of eight straight points early in the second quarter, tying it at 35 when Kendall Marshall banked in a runner. The Suns led only twice, both times after baskets by Beasley in the final 3 minutes of the first half.

"There's no reason to hang our heads. They've played in the finals. They know what it's like and a lot of our guys don't," Hunter said. "This will be a positive teaching tool for us. Something to learn from, something never to forget."

Notes: Martin, the NBA's top foul shooter at 90.5 percent, made three of his four free throws. He hasn't missed two in a game all season. ... Durant had steals on the Suns' first two possessions, causing coach Lindsey Hunter to call a timeout just 67 seconds into the game. ... Phoenix was Oklahoma City's opponent in its annual New Year's Eve home game and will host the Thunder Sunday night on Chinese New Year, which the NBA is recognizing with special T-shirts for players to wear during pregame warmups.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Thunder 127, Suns 96

THE FACTS: Unsung Thunder players Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins combined to score 35 points (more than three times their combined averages) to lead Oklahoma City past Phoenix 127-96. Sefolosha had a season-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting (4-for-6 on 3-pointers) and Perkins had a season-high 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting. He also pulled down nine rebounds, handed out three assists, blocked three shots and had two steals. Kevin Durant (21 points) and Russell Westbrook (17 points) did not have to play in the fourth quarter. Kevin Martin added 16 points giving the Thunder five players with 16 or more for the first time since Nov. 20, 2009 against Washington. All 13 Thunder players scored and OKC shot 57.5 percent.

The Suns trailed by only five at halftime but were blown out 72-46 in the second half. Michael Beasley came off the Phoenix bench to score a game-high 25 points on 10-for-16 from the floor. Point guard Goran Dragic had 13 points in the first six minutes of the game but finished with just six more. Jermaine O'Neal was the only other Suns player in double figures (12 points).

The Thunder crushed Phoenix on the fast break scoring 30 points on 13-for-15 shooting and in the paint where OKC outscored the Suns 62-42.

After having not won consecutive games since mid-January, the Thunder have taken three straight just this week to sweep their home stand.

QUOTABLE: "We pride ourselves on defense, we consider ourselves a defensive team but this is one of the few games where you can say we won the game with our offense. We were clicking on all cylinders tonight."

-- Thunder coach Scott Brooks

THE STAT: The Thunder shot 72.7 percent in the fourth quarter and 63 percent in the second half. Their 72 second-half points were the most scored by Oklahoma City in any half this season.

TURNING POINT: The Thunder came out to start the third quarter determined to put the Suns away and they did. OKC outscored Phoenix 24-5 over the first eight minutes of the quarter while holding the Suns to just 2-for-11 shooting (18.2 percent).

QUOTABLE II: "I love not having to play in the fourth quarter. It's good for my legs and it's good for my body. Scotty (Brooks) always says we have to be ready for the fourth quarter but we haven't had to play one this week."

-- Westbrook on not having to play in the fourth quarter of any of OKC's three games this week.

HOT: Oklahoma City hit its first six shots of the game, including two 3-pointers. ... Dragic was 6-for-7 (13 points) in the first six minutes of the game. ... Beasley was 5-for-7 (11 points) in the first half. ... Perkins was 4-for-4 (nine points) in the first half and 4-for-5 in the third quarter. ... The Thunder were 4-for-5 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

NOT: After going 6-for-7 in the first six minutes, Dragic finished the rest of the first half 1-for-5. ... Phoenix shot 40.0 percent in the second half.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Detroit Lions tight end and former Oklahoma State star Brandon Pettigrew sat courtside and was part of the 92nd straight sellout inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

GOOD MOVE: After the Suns turned the ball over their first two trips down court leading to five Thunder points, Hunter called a timeout to get his team back on track just 1:07 into the game. The rest of the first half the Suns played the Thunder even-up (50-50).

BAD MOVE: Coming out of a timeout in the third quarter the Suns broke the huddle and had six players on the court when play resumed. Durant hit the free throw after the technical foul was called capping off a 15-2 Thunder run.

NOTABLE: The Thunder are now 17-1 at home against teams from the Western Conference.